SUN training in Barcelona- Report

On the 3rd and 4th of October 2024, the SUN training took place in Barcelona, attended by a representative from the SIRIUS network and ERDISC research team at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Participants from various organisations, such as the Catalan Commission for Refugee Aid (Spain), Foundation for Access to Rights (Bulgaria), NIDOS (Netherlands), Association for the Social Support of Youth (Greece), Voluntarius (Italy), and Terre des Hommes (Romania) came together to exchange knowledge on safeguarding unaccompanied and separated children’s rights. Topics covered included statistical overviews, the asylum-seeking process, key challenges in various EU countries, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights application, and a “train-the-trainer” module to disseminate the project’s outcomes. This report seeks to reflect on the training’s objectives, content, and potential application of the knowledge gained within the context of Catalunya.

 

Find the report  HERE: SIRIUS Project Manager 2025

SOLiDi Final Conference: Solidarity in diversity

On the 22nd of August, SIRIUS participated in the SOLiDi Final Conference. SOLiDi is a Horizon 2020 funded project that has developed a training and research program to train 15 early-stage researchers in relevant theories, research methods, and ethics across a variety of disciplines. The program focused on paradigms of social change, exploring how scientific insights on solidarity in diversity can be applied in different policy contexts and organizations. Over the past 3 years, the 15 doctoral researchers have been investigating these questions, and during the conference, they presented their findings on how solidarity can be practiced in contemporary societies.

This year, Marloes Vrolijk, one of the doctoral researchers in the SOLiDi project, supported SIRIUS in developing a Policy Brief on “The Importance of Professional Development for Educators to Enhance Students’ Learning Experience.” Her research focuses on citizenship education and diversity in secondary schools. At the final conference, she shared part of her experience through storytelling, sharing stories from teachers’ experiences, highlighting the importance of personal narratives and human connections in shaping a new vision of solidarity.

Below, you will find a text by Marloes on storytelling, diversity, and citizenship education in the “Solidarity in Diversity” context.

 

 

 

Storytelling, diversity, and citizenship education at the “Solidarity in Diversity”

Written by Marloes Vrolijk, Department of Training and Education Sciences,

Antwerp University on July 2 nd , 2024.

 

My friend laughed and shook his head disappointedly when I told him about novel obligatory citizenship education goals to be implemented by schools in Flanders. It was the first summer holiday I had taken since starting my PhD, and my partner and I were visiting him and his family in his new home in Italy. He grew up in South Africa during the apartheid regime and seemed to get the possible gravity of a state developing obligatory citizenship education goals immediately. At that time, his reaction still surprised me. It stuck with me throughout the following years. Indeed, a form of undemocratic racist citizenship education, without any space for critical dialogue or thinking, was present during the apartheid period (Seroto, 2012). As Seroto explains: “the government wanted to translate its intentions and ideologies into an institutional expression in the school where students would be taught basic values and ideals that would make them passive citizens” (2012, p. 78). Reflecting on this now brings up at least two important questions that can apply in different contexts: 1) What are the purposes of citizenship education? 2) Who is included and excluded when referring to citizenship, and on which grounds? As one of fifteen doctoral researchers connected to the SOLiDi (“Solidarity in Diversity”) research consortium, I have been studying school practices related to implementing recent citizenship education goals and diversity policies in Flanders, Belgium. My research focuses on small-scale case studies of how different schools and teachers aim to realise different questions and policies related to “citizenship” and “diversity”. While I am still completing my study, an initial insight is that practices under the name of “citizenship education” risk focusing too much on “socialisation” into one idea of the good citizen. Gert Biesta explains that socialisation is the “(re)presentation of particular cultures, traditions and practices, either explicitly but also implicitly” (2022, p. 44). The risk is that there remains little room for students’ democratic subjectivity. Moreover, citizenship education is often taught in contexts that contradict democratic ideas and values. An example is that many urban Flemish schools apply a school ban on religious symbols. The Belgian Council of State, the supreme administrative court of Belgium, noted that the ban on religious symbols is mainly carried out as a “headscarf ban” and judged that it is against the freedom of religion and prohibition of discrimination in two GO! schools (Azabar, 2022, p. 123). This reminds me of Banks’ citizenship education dilemma: “the need to teach democratic ideas and values” while those are “contradicted by practices such as racism, sexism, social-class stratification, and inequality” (Banks, 2022, p. 5-6). While trying to understand the various school practices further, different stories start to stand out. Like Dania’s story, a student who started a school petition against a headscarf ban in her school, collecting more than 2000 signatures. Or the story of Julia, a teacher who claims to be more of an activist than a teacher and wants to support her students through experiences of “second-class citizenship”. At the same time, a different form of storytelling also appears. This is a grander narrative of what it means to be a good citizen in society. One teacher of the novel course “Citizenship” explains that certain differences of opinion, especially those influenced by religious beliefs, are not permitted in his citizenship teaching. Instead, he is motivated to introduce his students to “that story” of how “one should be a citizen in their society”, and it is his responsibility to keep repeating a story of human rights and equality. In my research, it is important to question what stories are silenced, overlooked and othered by such a grand narrative focusing on one understanding of the good citizen.

 

SUN Newsletter July 2024!


The SUN Newsletter

Welcome to the SUN Newsletter, July 2024! The project has already been running for over a year now, and many activities have been accomplished so far. In the latest updates, and as a sneak peek of what you’ll find in this newsletter, we have already published our training needs analysis report, we are working on the development of our handbook, and we will celebrate the train-the-trainers event in Barcelona in October. Additionally, in this newsletter, you’ll also find member news and international news on the protection of unaccompanied minors.

Thanks a lot for following our work! More about the project

SUN transnational train-the-trainers in Barcelona

On October 3rd and 4th, the partners from the Comissió Catalana d’Acció pel Refugi (CCAR), are going to host in Barcelona the SUN training of trainers. 

The transnational train-the-trainer event will gather: experts from all partner countries, as well as three external trainers in strategic litigation and training methodology. Trainees will be future trainers in the national trainings. The training will consist of 3 main components. The first part will be dedicated on the rights of UASCs as enshrined in the CFREU and will be a forum for project partner experts to exchange knowledge and skills. Each project partner will contribute with their experience. The second component will be dedicated on strategic litigation for safeguarding the rights of UASCs. The third part will be dedicated on training methodology.

The train-the-trainer event will further focus on how to adapt the Handbook and the national trainings to the different professional and country contexts.

Additionally to the training, the colleagues from CCAR will also present their work, context and stakeholders with the partners and other trainees.

Stay tuned to our social media for more information!

SUN Facebook account

The SUN Training needs analysis and good practices report is out!

The SUN consortium has published a comparative report on training needs and good practices analysis regarding safeguarding the rights of UASC under the CFREU, in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Romania. It has as its benchmarks the following CFREU rights applicable for UASC: human dignity, right to life, right to integrity of the person, prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, right to liberty and security, respect for private and family life, right to education, right to asylum, protection in the event of removal, expulsion or extradition, nondiscrimination, prohibition of child labor and protection of young people at work, right to social and housing assistance, health care, right to good administration and right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial.

Download report!


SUN Practitioners’ Handbook

The SUN project team is working on the development of a Practitioners’ Handbook on Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children’s Rights through the CFREU. Therefore, the project handbook will provide more basic knowledge about the Charter guaranteed rights of UASCs to the professionals involved in the everyday work with children – e.g. reception, care and education of UASCs. This group of professionals has a key role in the practical implementation of the rights, but also in documenting and referring the cases.

The handbook will also include a series of chapters that will provide more specific legal information, which it’s specially targeted for legal practitioners.

The handbook will be shared in the Barcelona “Train-the-trainers” event, and we will also share it on our social media.

SUN Training needs analysis and good practices infographics

Following the publication of our training needs analysis and good practices report on UASCs, we have developed a series of infographics showcasing the key aspects of each of the CFREU rights analyzed in the report.

Follow us on social media to access the infographics!

SUN Social Media


Understanding migration health rights in Romania- Terre des hommes

The partners from Terre des hommes Romania an informative leaflet about the healthcare system and migrant’s rights in Romania. The leaflet explaining the role of a family doctor, structure of the medical system and foreigners’ healthcare rights.

The leaflet was produced within the PROMISE project – Protecting the Unaccompanied Migrant Minors, which was implemented by Terre des hommes Foundation and JRS Romania with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021.

TAKE ACTION SCHOOL

Associazione Volontarius, the Italian partner of the Sun Project, presents the Take Action School project.

Take Action School is the creativity and human rights school by Gruppo Volontarius, designed by Piano B – Social Design, born in collaboration with Amnesty International – Italia and the cultural association Voci per la Libertà.

The project runs workshops to promote broader awareness about human rights and solidarity through the languages of creativity. During the workshops, participants have the opportunity to explore creativity as a medium of reflection, self-expression, expression of feelings and collective participation. Through the languages of art and communication, participants take an active part in advocating for human rights and supporting the most vulnerable people in their community.

In recent months, a photography workshop and visual communication was held on the theme of migration. It involved young people hosted at the Casa San Valentino reception centre, a second-level service for unaccompanied minor migrants run by the Volontarius ODV Association on commission of the social services of Merano, and a class of the Gandhi High School, both located in the South Tyrolean town of Merano. The participants created visual artifacts with the aim of defending and promoting the human rights established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This project represents a best practice implemented by Gruppo Volontarius to foster inclusion and promote a community of solidarity.

Law Handbook by ARSIS

ARSIS has published the third edition of Seeking International Protection: A Case – Law Handbook • 2022-2023

The Association for the Social Support of Youth (ARSIS) published an online case-law anthology on the support of minors seeking international protection (November 2021). The second (digital and printed) edition of December 2022 was enriched by adding in decisions on cases of unaccompanied children and asylum-seeking young adults. This third edition complements the previous work by incorporating more new decisions and by broadening the research scope to all third-country nationals applying for international protection in Greece.

Meet SIRIUS Network!

SIRIUS is a membership-based organization that promotes the social inclusion of children and young people with migrant backgrounds by fostering their effective access to the universal right to education. SIRIUS facilitates a cross-sector approach bringing together researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the field of migrant education as well as migrants and refugees themselves. Together, with their members they identify challenges and needs, exchange good practices and find collaborative ways to accomplish mutual goals.

SIRIUS is coordinating the communication and dissemination strategy for the SUN project.

Discover more about SIRIUS


In 2023, 254 900 first-time asylum applicants were children,  representing 24.3 % of the total number of first-time asylum applicants recorded in the EU, in 2023. Unaccompanied minor applicants accounted for 17.0 % of the total number of first-time asylum applicants aged below 18.

Syrians (22.4 %) and Afghans (13.1 %) were by far the most represented citizenships of first-time asylum applicant children in the EU in 2023.

The EU countries that received the highest numbers of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were Germany, France and Spain.

Practical Tool for Guardians Transnational procedures in the framework of international protection

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) have joined forces in the development of a series of practical tools for guardians of unaccompanied children with international protection needs. The objective is to support guardians in their daily tasks and responsibilities during the asylum procedure, including the procedure under the Dublin III regulation  and temporary protection. The series of practical tools addresses the following topics:

• temporary protection for unaccompanied children fleeing Ukraine,

• introduction to international protection,

• the regular asylum procedure,

• transnational procedures in the framework of international protection.

Guidance on Vulnerability in Asylum and Reception – Operational standards and indicators by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA)

The Guidance contains operational standards and indicators support Member States in the implementation of key provisions of the CEAS, addressing issues related to applicants in a situation of vulnerability in asylum and reception.

SIRIUS 3.0 SIRIUS WATCH Report 2024- Towards Better Data for Migrant Education: A Mapping of Data Availability in 14 EU Member States

SIRIUS Watch 2024 is about data, primarily the availability and comprehensiveness of valid

and reliable data about migrant education. The report has been developed by Migrant Policy Group, on the framework of the SIRIUS 3.0 project, an initiative is primarily focused on implementing significant policy changes to ensure high-quality and inclusive education for migrant learners.

The analysis provided in this report is based on desk research and consultations with education authorities in SIRIUS partner countries. In each of the 14 EU Member States covered by this report, national experts completed a questionnaire to map data availability in migrant education as of January 2024. Developed also with a view to the objectives of the comprehensive SIRIUS Agenda for Migrant Education in Europe, the questionnaire focused on five main dimensions:

• Data Collection and Categorisation

• Access to Schooling, Learning Outcomes and Targeted Support

• Education System Attributes • Socio-economic Conditions of Migrant Students

• Budget & Spending in Migrant Education

 

Find the full report here: SIRIUS Watch 2024

Training needs analysis and good practices report on Safeguarding unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children’s rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

This report is developed under the project Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children’s Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (SUN), which promotes the effective enjoyment of rights stipulated in the CFREU by unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children (UASC). The SUN Project aims to promote the effective enjoyment of rights stipulated in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children.

The report aims to identify and analyze good practices and training needs in safeguarding UASC’s rights through the CFREU in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Romania.

Find the full report here:

WP2_SUN_Report_final

KidLe Newsletter!

Read the first newsletter of the new project KidLe!

SIRIUS is participating in a new Erasmus+ Project: KidLe “Developing an Intercultural Game as a Pedagogic Tool for the Inclusion of Pupils with Migrant Backgrounds in New Learning Environments.”

The main aim of the project is to support the inclusion of migrant pupils in new school environments through playing board games with an intercultural character. The project will develop five such games and integrate them into a gaming pack, which will also be digital and multilingual. Furthermore, the game development process will involve co-creation, with parents and children (migrant/local) and teachers in each country designing the games.
Find the newsletter here: KidLe 2024.03 English newsletter

SUN Project January Newsletter!

The SUN project focuses on the use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as an effective legal instrument to promote and protect the rights of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children (UASCs) on the EU territory. In the project newsletter you can find insights into the project and international news on UASC protection.

SUN newsletter 2024.01

SIRIUS at the SOLIDI Training Workshop- Research and policy change in inclusive education

On the 7th of December 2023, SIRIUS presented at the SOLIDI training Workshop. SOLiDi is a research program consisting of 15 individual doctoral research projects connecting research and public policy making in the field of intercultural relations, integration, and diversity policies and strategies.

As part of our workshop, we introduced the work of SIRIUS and how our advocacy work connects research on inclusive education and policy change. To illustrate this, we used the SIRIUS 3.0 ‘SIRIUS Watch’ report as an example. Based on the perceived needs and gaps identified by the networks, the SIRIUS Watch conducts research that focuses on monitoring the most significant changes in policy, implementation, and knowledge for ensuring inclusive education environments. This serves as a knowledge resource on inclusive education policy, but it also aims to be used as a tool for advocacy to promote policy change. Furthermore, we also presented the KIDS4ALLL project, whose methodology is based on the co-creation of knowledge, promoting the sharing of knowledge between the other two ‘sister’ projects, Refuge-Ed andNEW ABC , which also focus on the inclusion of migrant students in education. Additionally, we outlined the KIDS4ALLL policy brief, which we developed at SIRIUS together with the partners from the Institute for Education in Malta. This brief builds on the results of the KIDS4ALLL pilot of the platform and research to create policy recommendations on the promotion of lifelong learning competences from a holistic inclusive approach.

Right to education for unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children in the EU – A closer look at the ECRE Policy Note on the Right to Education for Asylum Seekers

Access to education is addressed in article 14 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights Of the European Union. According to article 14, everyone has the right to education and to have access to vocational and continuing training. Within the  EU legal framework, the right to access education for asylum seekers and unaccompanied and separated minors is also recognized under the Article 14 of the Reception Conditions Directive, which mandates minors asylum applicants must access education within three months.  

 

Focusing on the right to education of asylum seekers, ECRE has produced a Policy Note on “the right to education for asylum seekers in the EU”. According to the policy note, the lengthy asylum procedures  are negatively affecting the access to education due to delays in application processing. Furthermore, in many Member States minors asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors don’t have access to the schooling systems while they are in reception centers. The lack of information upon arrival is another issue that limits the educational opportunities of UASC.It is imperative that they receive transparent information about the various education pathways available to them. 

 

Moreover, newcomers tend to be placed in lower academic tracks, often because their previous studies are not considered as valid or not accurately considered. The report also calls upon MS to invest in preparatory classes and language. Funding preparatory classes is key for the successful inclusion of newcomers in mainstream education. 

 

Apart from compulsory education, it also underlines the importance of offering opportunities in  post-compulsory education, higher education and vocational training for UASC. In many cases, these educational pathways are not prioritized because they are not part of compulsory education. However, regardless of their legal status, the access to all educational levels should be guaranteed for all newcomers. When it comes to non-compulsory education, some of the challenges UASC face are related to the recognition of diplomas, language requirements, residence permit and the lack of financial aid from the governments . 

 

Education is a basic human right, and therefore the ECRE Note emphasizes the obligation of Member States in ensuring the access to education to asylum seekers. The policy note concludes with a series of recommendations for Member states and the European Commision. You can read all the recommendations here

Advocating for inclusive and high quality education for UASC is one of SIRIUS priorities. As part of our various activities in this area, we are currently participating in the SUN project, which focuses on the use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as an effective legal instrument to promote and protect the rights of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children (UASCs) on the EU territory. Find more information about the project here.